| SS4.02 Ecology and Physiology of Marine Organisms: Insights from Genes, Genomes, and Proteomes |
| Dawson, M, N, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, mndawson@unsw.edu.au |
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| PERIPATRIC SPECIATION AND EVOLUTIONARY RADIATION OF MASTIGIAS (SCYPHOZOA) IN MARINE LAKES DURING THE HOLOCENE: AN ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY FOR THE SEAS? |
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| Exceptions to the long-held belief that marine species are widespread and well-mixed are commonplace but still explained vaguely, often in terms of limited dispersal ability and hard-to-see barriers to gene flow that are poorly quantified. In many marine contexts it is difficult to ascertain a priori the likely connectivity between populations over evolutionary time. Consequently, extreme cases may illustrate particularly well the potential of evolution in marine organisms. Golden jellyfish (Mastigias) inhabiting land-locked marine lakes for approximately 10,000 years are behaviorally, genetically, and morphologically distinct; their population dynamics also differ as do their physiologies. Thus, in physical isolation and novel habitats, marine taxa can evolve extremely rapidly, an heterodox finding that is more typically associated with the evolution of terrestrial taxa on oceanic islands. This suggests the rich theory of island biogeography and associated disciplines, such as metapopulation dynamics, apply to marine taxa and have much to contribute to our understanding of patterns of and influences on marine biodiversity including methods of conservation - particularly marine protected areas. |
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